A study by the University of Geneva has identified 759 non-governmental organisations operating in Geneva. This figure might not be a surprise for some. For the state of Geneva, and the researchers, it came as a bit of s shock. The number is about double that previously thought.

Business for Humanity (B4H)

The “B” Team is a group of heads of big businesses from the private sector. These individuals, generally leaders of these businesses, share one vision: that businesses can work together to find solutions to issues that matter to humanity.

In light of the ongoing refugee crisis, host countries are experiencing political, economic, and social welfare challenges. Hence, team “B”, a not-for-profit initiative, established a project called “Refugees & Migrants – An Opportunity for Humanity” to take more action in 1) identifying challenges, 2) doing their best to mitigate associated risks and 3) changing the traditional way businesses perceived.

“B” companies such as Unilever and Allianz created different partnership programmes tailored to the needs of refugees and host communities. These activities vary from providing employment opportunities for skilled refugees and migrants, to donations and financial support to improve their health and well-being.

In their report, team “B” believes that business is and always should be part of relief activities. Doing so will not only help aid organisations, governments and host communities financially, but as their website states, it will also help refugees in regaining “control of their lives by integrating them into the economy as fast as possible. Just as importantly, we must also stand against the stigma and misinformation that dominates the debate by ensuring the conversation is based on facts, not fear.”

My career is grounded in outreach and communications in the humanitarian sector, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa. The first involves designing and implementing humanitarian projects for international organisations; the second is communicating that action to stakeholders. I am always up for new challenges in English, Arabic ,Somali…and even français!
Whatever the challenge I face though, it is essential that my work preserves the human element. So, I am now exploring innovation and the impact of using social media on humanitarian action in emergency situations to make our actions more visible to the public.